Question about upgrading to 7

[Hallinx]

Hello everyone, heres my situation. I just bought all my new PC parts off of newegg and my vista 64bit OEM is on its way. I wanted to know once i get my vista installed, will i need to do a fresh install or can i choose the other method (sorry brainfart and i can't remember the term used). Also, if i ever decide (which probably wont happen) to go back to Vista, will my OEM version be able to be used again. I'll have the same mobo, so no worries there.

 

[evongugg]

As long as you have a copy of Windows 2000, XP, or Vista, you can buy any upgrade edition you want. It’s important to note however that on the Vista side, this could impact your ability to perform in-place upgrades. For example, don’t expect to be able to do an in-place upgrade of Windows Vista Business to Home Premium, a clean install may be required. You can also upgrade a lower version such as XP Home to Windows 7 Ultimate. The price difference is covered in the upgrade cost.

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/windows_7_upgrade_guide_all_your_questions_answered

 

[Jonmor68]

You can choose how you upgrade from Vista 64 bit OEM to W7 64 bit, in place upgrade (keeping all programs and data) or a clean install.
Going on how W7 is performing I can't see you going back to Vista, but it can be done after removing W7, if you have a problem activating it, a phone call to Microsoft will get you going.
Or you could invest in Acronis True Image Home 2009 and make an image backup of your system before upgrading to W7, afterwards you can use it for W7 backups.